


Ghostworld

by You_Invited_Me_In



Category: Ghost (Sweden Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Anal Play, Cock Tease, Dominance, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Light Bondage, Masturbation, Oral Sex, Other, Sex, Sexual Fantasy, Sexual Frustration, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-03
Updated: 2018-07-03
Packaged: 2019-06-01 15:50:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15146498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/You_Invited_Me_In/pseuds/You_Invited_Me_In
Summary: We enter a world where reality and fantasy collide in a not-so-simple way. In the night, he is real, and if you have Ghost, do you really have everything?





	1. The Package

Chapter One

The Ritual was over, and my body was still humming from the deliriously sexual crescendo that had culminated during Monstrance Clock. There was just something about the Cardinal urging us to have orgasms that seemed so erotic to me. Unfortunately, the only orgasm I was going to be having was going to be solo, since I was here, in this far-off city, to do business during the day. The fact that Ghost was playing while I was here on my business trip seemed like serendipity. I regretted not packing my vibrator, but it had seemed too embarrassing to have in my luggage for some TSA employee to discover. Oh well, I'd let my fingers do the walking later, just to take the edge off.

Fuck, the Cardinal's words still rang in my ears. I had been at the barrier, and more than once, I had locked eyes with him as he performed. When he had asked the crowd to give each other, and ourselves, orgasms, he had looked directly at me and asked, "Do you promise?" I had nodded enthusiastically and shouted "YES!" And his tight pants, leaving everything and nothing to the imagination....my mouth was suddenly dry.

I was passing a dimly-lit bar with quite a bit of traffic in and out, so on a whim, I decided to stop in for a drink. My meeting wasn't until 11am tomorrow, so why not? I seated myself at the bar and tried to organize my thoughts and come down after such an amazing night. I ordered a vodka martini and surprised myself by downing all of it almost immediately. As the booze warmed my limbs and made my scalp tingle deliciously, I closed my eyes and just let the sensation wash over me. It was a little noisy in the bar with patrons milling about, and the sound system was playing Ghost music, as I am sure most establishments near the venue were. I chewed on one of the olives that garnished my drink and tried to get the image of the Cardinal's "package", as he had referred to it, out of my mind. At that moment, I became aware that Monstrance Clock was playing, and I giggled out loud.

As if summoned, the bartender appeared in front of me and placed another martini on the bar. "I didn't order this!" I protested, but he smiled and gestured over to his left, behind me. "Compliments of the gentleman at the table in the corner." he said, and I turned to see who my benefactor was, almost afraid because here I was, a woman alone in a city unfamiliar to her. It was dark in that corner, and all I could make out was a silouhette. There was a sort of low, bluish light in that part of the bar, and my eyes strained to adapt to it. I blinked, a couple of times, because who I thought I was seeing could not possibly be. He had a hat on; a very familiar hat. It was black, with a white band, and as he lifted his head to look at me, I thought I had to be dreaming. He tipped his hat to me and I think I screeched a little.

It was Cardinal Copia.

I turned around quickly and grabbed the martini in front of me, needing liquid courage like I never had before. I gulped it down, willing it to calm the thrill of excitement that was running up and down my spine. My hand trembled as I held the glass to my lips. Suddenly, I heard a voice, excruciatingly low and close to my ear.

"Don't spill that on your beautiful dress, my dear." I could feel the heat from his body behind me, nearly touching me. The smell of his black, leather jacket was intoxicating, and there was something warm and inviting, like incense, too. I put the now-empty glass down and leaned back slightly, sighing. I couldn't believe this was happening. If I have been hit by a bus and I'm in a coma, having a dream, so what? I thought. I'm gonna run with this. He placed his hands on either side of me on the bar, essentially capturing me, and I relaxed against him. "Thank you for the drink," I murmured, and he replied, "You looked like you needed it the way you drank the first one." His lips were so close to my ear that it was tingling, his voice like silk, and I almost groaned. "So," he continued, "why are you not doing as you promised me?" His hands retreated from the bar and his leather-gloved fingers were resting lightly on my shoulders now. I froze, suddenly at a loss for words, as his hands moved gently down my arms. "Why aren't you somewhere, having an orgasm?" he growled into my ear. I somehow found my voice and turned a little to look at him as my head rested against his shoulder. "Keep this up, and I'm going to come right here." I warned.

His hands tightened around my own, and he swiveled me around on the bar stool to face him. My skirt had ridden up and I looked down to see his package straining against the black material of his pants, between my open legs. "A promise is a very sacred covenant," he warned, his eyes boring into mine. "and I think I must hold you to it." As if possessed, scarcely daring to believe that I was in my own body, I found myself reaching for that bulge straining against the material of his pants. I caressed it. He hissed a little at my touch, then groaned. I leaned forward; now my lips were against his ear as I whispered, "I think you have what I need to fulfill my covenant to you." With a growl, he seized my hand and pulled me off the bar stool to my feet. "Let's go, " he commanded, and led me out of the bar, onto the dark, city street. He stopped for a moment, looking into my eyes as his hands cupped my face. "I will not allow you to break your promise to me. Tell me that you want me in your soul forever." he demanded. "Oh, yes....please..." I moaned as I felt his hands cup my ass and pull me close to him, his lips on my neck. For a moment, we stood, locked in a rapturous embrace, and then he raised a hand and made a gesture. Out of nowhere, a Rolls Royce Phantom crept up beside us on the street. The Cardinal, still holding my hand, opened the door with his other one.

"Get in," he growled.

I slid onto the seat in the beautiful car. I could feel the rumble of the engine underneath me, suggesting great power, although the engine itself was just purring along. It was then that I noticed the driver, who sat patiently, looking forward. As the Cardinal slid in beside me, I said, more to myself, "Of course." and laughed. The Nameless Ghoul at the wheel turned his head to look at me and I swear, he winked. At least it looked like it, in the dim overhead light in the beautiful car. "Take us." The Cardinal commanded , and the car moved forward, almost gliding. A glass partition rose smoothly, giving us more privacy in the back seat. I was almost sorry about that. Allowing the Ghoul to watch seemed very exciting.

All at once, it came to me that I was in a strange car, with someone I really didn't know. Panic began to rise from within, but then I felt a gloved hand touch my cheek, turning my head to face the Cardinal. "My beautiful Ghuleh," he crooned. "Don't be nervous. You are not with a stranger, in a strange car. You are with me, and you know me. You feel me within you. I can see through the scars inside you. You have been longing for this to happen. Let me show you." I was startled by his words, and comforted at the same time. He could read my mind, and this was real, and I suddenly felt safer than I had ever felt with anyone before. I reached for his face, expecting to feel the detatched, synthetic mask, but was surprised that it felt so real. I felt the muscles in his face as he smiled, just a bit. "You thought I was "The Man in the Mask", eh? That's only the act. The human mind can only handle so much fantasy, so I give it to them. But what you feel, now? This is real." He took my hand in his, bringing the tips of my fingers to his lips, kissing them softly. They were, indeed, real; soft and warm, and the thought of them on my body gave me such a thrill of excitement that I began to feel that fire below, in the pit of my stomach.

The Cardinal chuckled as I traced his lips with my fingertip and then took that finger into his mouth. I felt his tongue as he tasted my finger, then released my hand and moved his face closer to mine. "You believe?" he asked. "Oh....fuck yes," I gasped, touching his soft, thick hair, running my hands down his chest, wanting to explore all of him. If this is some sort of dream, I told myself, please, don't let me wake up. I succumb to this delicious madness.

I felt his lips against mine, soft and tender, and I eagerly moved forward, wanting to kiss him fully. He stopped me, though, and sternly admonished, "Don't move." His lips lingered lightly against mine, tantalizing me, and his hands moved to lose themselves in the tangle of my hair. One hand moved slowly to my back and found the zipper of my dress. He slowly, agonizingly unzipped it as I began to pant, trying to calm myself. His lips were trailing down to my neck and I could feel his hot breath and a flick of his tongue licking my skin. My hands tried to urge his heavy, leather jacket off but he murmured, "No....wait. We have plenty of time," as his mouth slowly descended. My dress was an off-shoulder style, and as he released the zipper, it began to fall down, exposing my skin. His lips trailed kisses along my shoulder as I groaned. I felt my skin rise up with goosebumps because it was actually quite cool in the Phantom despite the heat between us. He lifted his head and it seemed that his eyes were actually glowing; one with white-hot intensity and the other a fiery green. "Drink me," he sang, softly, rolling that "r" masterfully, and I replied, a little shakily, "Only if you eat me." His eyes blazed and he smiled as he snarled, "Ohhhh, you will see the light." Our lips crashed together, tongues touching, and he drank me in with that kiss, draining all my fears and stoking the flames of desire so fully that I felt that I was made of that fire, and that I must be burning him.

My dress was down around my waist now, and my strapless, black, lace bra was merely a scrap of material in the way as he cupped my breasts and lifted them up and together, lowering his face to them and kissing my feverish skin. His thumbs flicked at the material and my nipples sprang out, their skin taut and hard, and I felt him take first one in his mouth, sucking and biting lightly, then the other. He was slowly lowering me back onto the seat, which, surprisingly, seemed much wider and more accommodating than when we had gotten in. We kissed again, our tongues battling for domination, and my hands urged his clothes off. I needed to feel his skin against mine or I might go mad. "Please," I gasped, and he laughed softly and shrugged off his jacket as I frantically sought the buttons of his shirt. I don't know how exactly it happened - it may have been my mind playing tricks on me or the passion making me lose track of time - but all at once, my dress and bra were off and so were his clothes, and his skin was hotter than fire but so was mine, and I didn't care if we burned for all eternity as long as we were together. "Panties....my panties!" I gasped, reaching down to push them off my hips, but his hand cupped my lace-covered mound and he admonished, "No. NO. I will remove them when I think you are ready."

I felt his middle finger lightly tracing the lips of my swollen pussy through the fabric. I nearly cried, I was so frustrated, but he lowered his mouth to mine and kissed away my protests, murmuring softly to me, "A covenant must be honored. When you promised me your orgasm, you made a promise to so much more. I will show you. In time. But you don't want it enough just yet, Ghuleh. Not yet." I groaned and arched my back in protest, wanting to throw his weight off me and to straddle him, dominate him, and feel his cock inside me, its hot length pressing against me now and leaving no doubt to its size and magnificence. The Cardinal's mouth was against my left breast now and his mouth enveloped my nipple and he bit down just hard enough to make me jump, as his ungloved, well-manicured hand slid beneath the waistband of my panties. "You crave the wand.....not yet....you haven't earned it," he growled. I felt his fingers stroking my swollen pussy lips, teasing, and I strained to open my legs to give him access, but his strong, muscular legs held mine shut.

"So impatient, Ghuleh," he murmured, his lips leaving a trail of fire on my skin with his kisses and little nips. "You must learn obedience. As his father's father's father taught me, and his father..." His mouth enveloped my other nipple, sucking and flicking the rock-hard nub with his tongue, "...you will learn to submit to me."

I knew, at this moment, that all I wanted in the world right now was to belong to him, and so I took a shaky, deep breath, and tried to relax my body. "Yes, Cardinal," I whispered, "your will be done."

Time lost all meaning after that, as he returned to my mouth and we kissed; deep, soul-shattering, hungry. Our hands roamed each other's bodies, learning curves, and muscles, and sensitive places. When my hand wrapped around his hard, straining cock, he groaned. I stroked its length, feeling the power, and rubbed my thumb against the head, where a bead of pre-cum had formed. I rubbed it into his skin and then brought my thumb to my mouth, tasting the slight, saltiness of him. He was moving slowly down my body again, mouthing first one breast, then the other, and his finger had parted the lips of my pussy and was softly rubbing just the sensitive, top area above my clit. He knew it was making me crazy, not being able to open my legs, but he didn't care. He was enjoying this delicious torture. As his body slid downward and his lips and tongue continued to singe my skin, the force with which he held my legs shut with his increased, because I knew he anticipated me making one, big lunge and opening them. He was not having it, and I was both enjoying his reaction to my disobedience and wanting to cry with frustration. He was so good at this and I found myself wondering who taught him? Emeritus I? II? III? Nihil? "Some things....just come naturally, Ghuleh," he murmured against my stomach, and I drew in a ragged breath, knowing that I must free my mind, because he was in there, and he just.....knew.

His mouth was at the waistband of my panties now, and he was kissing along my hips, his tongue trailing fire. I felt him lower the waistband until the triangle of my mound was exposed, and I found myself feeling relieved that I had groomed myself well down there. "I love a landing strip, myself, " he crooned, as his mouth trailed down the thin line of hair and I felt his hot breath against me. He kissed my pussy lips, softly, then more fully, and I bucked my hips, crying out. He held me still, looking up at me, and his eyes were both dangerous and playful. "My beauty, if you move, I will stop. Do you want me to stop?" he warned, and I shook my head no. "GOD no." I gasped, and his mouth lowered once again. His tongue traced the edges of my swollen lips and he dipped it down into the triangle where my thighs met for a moment. Then, he dragged the tip of his tongue up slowly, separating my pussy lips and when his tongue grazed my clit I thought I would come right then, but not being able to give him full access prevented it and all I felt was a searing desire to wrap my thighs around his head and grind my pussy against his mouth. Don't move, I silently begged myself, and I felt/heard him chuckle against my skin.

His fingers parted my lips and held them open and his tongue went to work, teasing, licking, probing my half-exposed clit as I groaned and involuntarily thrust my hips up against his mouth. His tongue dragged against my swollen clit and he allowed my legs to open just a slight bit more, allowing my clit to be mostly exposed to his mouth. It was so close, and yet so far! He licked and sucked softly, flicking his tongue against my engorged flesh, his fingers stroking my pussy lips and massaging them open and closed. I bucked my hips upward, straining to give him all of my clit, begging him to let me come, please, let me. His mouth was relentless, his tongue taking me to the edge, where I teetered, unable to fall. He would start, then stop, taking me to the brink over and over, but never letting me go.

His masterful mouth continued this torture until I felt as though all time had stopped. There was only his mouth and my clit, and me, begging him to let me come. He was right, I thought; some things can't be taught. Some things, you just know. At this thought, his tongue slowed down and he looked up at me. "You have learned this lesson well, my love," he murmured, and sat up, pulling my panties down over my legs and relaxing his hold, allowing me to spread them wide. I cried out as his mouth returned to my open, wet pussy and he licked and sucked, his tongue flicking my clit at a pace that truly seemed inhuman, until he began to suck, rhythmically and with force. I felt every resistance melting away as my orgasm rose from the depths and I screamed as it flooded over my entire body like a prolonged, electrical shock. My pussy and his mouth were fused together by the force of my orgasm and my juices soaked his face. Another wave washed over me and I came again, this one more violent. It seemed as if every nerve ending was on fire and I wasn't sure, nor did I care, if I could survive it. He continued to lick me softly as I vibrated and hummed with the force of that orgasm, tasting my juices and groaning against me with his own need.

"Please." My voice was hoarse and seemed to reverberate off the interior of the moving car. "I want you so bad." It seemed like such a pitiful, inadequate plea after the earth-shattering pleasure he had just given me, and as he moved back up my body to face me, he chuckled. "You think that was the orgasm you promised me?" he asked, looking amused. My hands hands sought out his cock as I answered, "Well, two, if we're keeping track." He raised his finger and wagged it back and forth and answered, "No, my beautiful love, you have not fulfilled your promise yet. That was not the covenant which I seek." A delicious thrill ran through my body and we kissed. I tasted myself on his lips, and this inflamed me more. I moved to sit up, pushing him back so that he lay, propped up a little against the door of the Phantom. His body was all sinew and muscle, and his cock stood at attention, the veins pulsing. I couldn't wait wait to take him into my mouth, and began to kiss down his chest and to the sharp, defined V of his lower torso. He groaned as my hands stroked his thighs and then I cupped the weight of his balls with my hand and lowered my mouth to them, kissing and sucking the skin lightly. I felt him shiver as he stroked my hair, and then I was slowly dragging my tongue from the base of his turgid cock to the tip. He groaned as I gripped the base and my mouth enveloped him, the smooth, hot skin filling my mouth as I sought to take as much of him into me as possible. I began stroking his cock with my hand and my mouth, sucking hard on the head each time I moved up, rubbing it with the flatness of my tongue. His hips began to thrust up to meet my mouth each time and he was making gutteral, growling sounds, one hand at the back of my head and the other gripping the seat. I continued to suck and lick his shaft, taking him all the way in to the back of my throat and somehow managing not to gag on the size of him; he tasted so good, like cinnamon and cloves and salt and soapy skin. I wanted to bring him to the brink and then stop, just like he had tortured me. I was groaning as I relentlessly worked his cock with my mouth, and I could feel my pussy growing wetter and wetter as I built his excitement. I was reaching my own "point of no return", too.

I started to reach down and finger my clit and this was when he grabbed my head, gently, and said, "Oh no you don't, Ghuleh. That is for me." He pulled me up on top of him and my legs went astride him as he scooted down on the seat, which had somehow become as big as a queen-sized bed. "Together as one," he commanded, and I slid down onto his cock, my pussy filling with his length and girth. I began to ride him, my hands on his chest, grinding my hips down against his, as his rose steadily to meet my thrusting. His hands gripped my ass as he pistoned up into me, fucking me so hard I thought I might split in two, but not caring because if I was going to die, this was the way I wanted to go. He sat up, cradling my back as his inhuman thrusts impaled me, and I grabbed his shoulders and wrapped my legs around his torso and just let him fuck me, let him suck my nipples and pull my hair as he took what he needed from me. He was feral, growling, and I was crying out with each thrust.

He moved again, laying me back on the seat, and then he went to work, fucking me slowly, hard, and so deeply it hurt, but in such a delicious way I thought that I was going to go mad from the pleasure. I wrapped my legs around him, gripping him tightly, and met his strokes with my own. We stared into each other's eyes and he stopped for a moment. "Can't you see that you're lost without me?" he asked, and thrust so hard that I felt myself coming before I even knew I was there, crying out his name, screaming, "Yes!" over and over. I felt him tensing and he gave a final, thunderous. THRUST; then he cried out and came inside me, flooding me, warming me with his seed.

I don't know how long we lay there, our bodies heaving, but as I slowly, slowly drifted back down to earth, I giggled. As lights flashed over us from the street lights as the Nameless Ghoul continued to drive, the Cardinal looked at me, a question in his eyes. "I felt the thunder." I said, solemnly, and then began to giggle again. He chuckled and stroked my face. "My naughty girl, you are incorrigible. I knew, when I saw you tonight at the Ritual, that I must possess you. And now, you have made your covenant, and you will feel me touch your soul forever." I lay my head against his chest and listened to his heart beat. This is the moment of just letting go, I thought, as a strange, not unwelcome drowsiness came over me.

Soft sunlight awakened me slowly, and I heard the gentle whir of something as I opened my eyes. I felt as thought I had been asleep for a very long time. My surroundings were immediately familiar to me: I was in bed, in my hotel room, and that whirring was the air conditioner. The events of the night before came flooding back to me with startling clarity, and I sat up, startled. How did I get here? The last thing I could recall was falling asleep to the sound of the Cardinal's heart. But, here I was, in my hotel room, with no recollection after that. My dress lay, neatly folded, on the bedside chair. My shoes and undergarnents were laying on top of it. I was naked, my robe at the foot of the bed.

"What the FUCK?" I shouted. This made no sense! "THAT was NOT a dream," I said to the empty room. My thighs ached faintly and there was a delicious soreness down below - "I got fucked, and FUCKED GOOD," I said, addressing the room again. My brain was attempting to sort this out; this confusion, the memories, and my certainty that I could not have gone completely off the deep end and dreamed the entire thing. Just then, a knock came at the door. I jumped out of bed and threw on my robe, belting it neatly, as I walked to the door. "Who is it?" I asked, and a voice answered, "Room Service." I opened the door warily, saying, "I didn't order room service. I just woke..." and my voice faltered.

There, standing at my door with a tray on a cart, was a Nameless Ghoul.

"...up." I finished, and he pushed the cart into the room. For a moment, we just stood there, me staring at him, him looking mildly at me. Then, he winked, and I realized that it was the same Ghoul who had been driving the Phantom last night. He made a move to leave and I grabbed his arm. "Where is he?" I asked. "Last night! It was real!" He gestured to the tray and answered, simply, "All questions have their answers there." I turned to look at the tray. The usual accoutrements were present; there was a red rose in a vase, a covered dish, a silver carafe, a cup and saucer, and a small, black velvet box. Propped up against the vase was an envelope with my name on it written in elegant script. As I stared at the tray, the door closed quietly. I looked up: the Nameless Ghoul was gone. I resisted the urge to run after him; the contents of the tray were too intriguing. As I lifted the cover from the dish, I smelled the unmistakable aroma of coffee wafting from the carafe. Under the lid on the plate, there was a large, still-warm croissant with butter; my absolute favorite. I realized that I was, in fact, starving, and a blush rose on my face. After all that sex last night? Of course you are! I thought to myself, and smiled. I grabbed the envelope and tucked it under my arm, poured a cup of the coffee, buttered the croissant, and went back to the bed. I took a sip of the most delicious coffee I had ever tasted and bit into the buttery pastry. The envelope was sealed with red wax. Stamped into the wax was a Grucifix. I opened it carefully, and pulled out a single sheet of parchment. The same, elegant writing greeted me:

_"My Beautiful Darling,_

_I trust that you slept well and are feeling good after our encounter last night. I know that I am feeling very good, indeed. You kept your promise, my Ghuleh, and now, our covenant is sealed for all eternity. The world is on fire, and you are here to stay and burn with me._

_I despaired of leaving you so soon, but I was summoned back for more instruction from Nihil; he is pleased with my progress. As a token of my gratitude and love for you, please accept my gift. It is enchanted just for you; you have only to open it and consume its contents, which are replenishing; I will return to you whenever you do._

_In the night, I am real. It may seem cliché, but If you have Ghost, you have everything._

_Yours internally and eternally,_

_C."_

I dropped the letter and looked over at the small, black velvet box. I jumped up and grabbed it off the tray and opened it. Inside, there was a small, round silver and enamel locket with a chain. I recognized it as a Eucharist holder. I opened it, and nestled inside was a communion host and a very tiny, folded-up slip of paper. The scent of cinnamon and cloves drifted faintly up to my nose. I removed the slip of paper and opened it. It read, simply:

_Don't be too greedy. - C._

I picked up the letter and read it again, and then again. Its meaning was clear to me, but his admonishment on the small slip of paper was evident that I must not take advantage of this gift he had given me. The question was simple, though: was all of this possible?

The rest of my trip passed in a whirlwind of fog. Somehow, I managed to do my business satisfactorily, and somehow, I managed to make it back home. I wore the Eucharist holder all the time, only removing it to bathe. I would place my hand over it and I could swear that I felt the beating of the Cardinal's heart. It was hard to resist the temptation to just eat the wafer to see if I was, indeed, crazy. I understood his warning, though, and realized that this was some sort of test. I needed to pass it. I needed to prove that I would stand by him.

One stormy night, I felt restless and consumed by a longing. I had resisted up until now, but the pull of the contents of the Eucharist holder was irresistible. It's now or never, I told myself. You're either fucking crazy or you're about to get laid. I opened the holder and took out the wafer. I placed it on my tongue. Immediately, the memory of the taste of the Cardinal's hard cock in my mouth flooded my senses: cinnamon, cloves, salt, soap. I closed my eyes and savored the taste. Was that it? Just the taste to recall our night of passion together? I'll admit, I felt a little disappointed.

Then, as the lightning flashed outside and there was a loud rumble of thunder, I glanced out the window.

Idling at the curb, in the rain, was a Rolls Royce Phantom. The brake lights flashed, as if signaling to me. My heart lurched and my skin raised with goosebumps.

I ran to grab my coat. Couldn't keep the Cardinal waiting!


	2. Faith

Chapter Two

When you've been given a gift that defies all explanation, do you question your sanity?

Certainly, I did, many times, in those first few encounters with the Cardinal. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter does not exist, I would tell myself; this has to be certifiable insanity. And yet.... ...after that stormy night, when I had felt the longing, and made what I began to refer to as my "First Unholy Communion", and that Rolls had appeared at the curb? I had run to the car just as the first drops of rain began to fall and the thunder crashed overhead. The Nameless Ghoul exited the driver's side and hurried to open the door for me. He winked as the lightning flashed, his chrome mask seeming to be electrified. A gloved hand reached for me from inside and the Cardinal's voice beckoned, "Come, my dear. I am as hungry for you as you are for me." How could I question my sanity after that night, when the Cardinal made me come six times? "You have been very, very patient and obedient, my love," he crooned as he slowly undressed me that night. "You understand my desire to be with you is great, but my responsibilities to the faithful are many." As he lowered his mouth to my breast, he sighed. "I have longed to taste you. And so I shall, until I have had my fill, at least for tonight."

It was always the same, after we would be together; I would feel the most delicious drowsiness and then fall asleep in his arms. It was the safest I had ever felt. However it happened, I would awaken in my own bed after having the most luxuriously deep sleep. There was always some trace of him near me the next morning, when I awoke. Once, there was a rose on my bedside table. Another time, a note that read, simply: "I hope that you slept well and dreamed of me, Ghuleh. - C." Sometimes, there were bruises on my thighs and my nipples from his mouth. Always, I felt this delicious ache down low, because fucking the Cardinal was never a soft and gentle experience when we got down to it. His need was insatiable, his strength was overpowering, and the sight of him, naked in front of me, his thighs ripped with muscles, was enough to drive me crazy. I had to have him, any way that I could, any way that he wanted to have ME. That sane, organized part of me always kept track of the band's schedule. I knew where they were at all times and when they were performing. I knew that I must be obedient in order to continue to enjoy the Cardinal's company; selfishly consuming a wafer when they were halfway around the world and onstage might have appealed to a more demanding woman who wanted to test boundaries, but there was always this little part of me that worried that soon enough, he would tire of me and that one night, I would consume the wafer and he would not appear.

I should have known better than to have these thoughts, though. The next night that we saw each other after I had felt that little sliver of doubt, he was buried deep inside me, holding my hands over my head with his steely, yet gentle grip. He thrusted, hard, and then unexpectedly stopped, looking deeply into my eyes. "Look at me," he commanded. Like I could look anywhere else! "I will never tire of your company, my darling. You have nothing, ever, to fear. No more doubts and fears. I am yours to command." Tears leaked out of my eyes and he kissed them away. I knew it was unwise to fall for him, but at that moment, I really didn't care.

Life continued, more or less as normal as it always had. There was work, and responsibilities, and mundane, everyday things. My friends were beginning to notice that I was unavailable occasionally, and that sometimes, my head was in the clouds. They were used to my Ghost obsession, though. I had made up a plausible story about having met a couple of members of the band after the Ritual so that my extreme fangirling would seem natural, and it never occurred to me to tell even my best friend what was happening. As much as I knew she trusted and cared for me, she would have had me committed. How could I explain this to her if I didn't really understand it myself? Still, she was noticing that I wasn't as social as I used to be. Somehow, I had to throw her off the scent. That chance came soon enough.

I had been very casually seeing a guy named Rob before that fateful business/pleasure trip, and he called me to invite me to a company function his firm was having. It was a big deal, apparently, being held on a yacht down at the harbor. While not black tie, it was formal enough that I could wear a dress I had picked up one day while out shopping. It had reminded me of one of the Cardinal's wardrobe changes in concert. It was a deep red, the same shade as his cassock. It had long sleeves and a conservative front, but it was backless. I wore a black grucifix as jewelry and black pumps with red bottoms. Rob's eyes widened when I answered the door and he let out a low whistle. "You look so fucking hot," he exclaimed, and grabbed me by the waist to kiss my cheek. He touched my grucifix and chuckled. "Heavy metal chick as always." Rob didn't look so bad himself, dressed in a black dress shirt and black suit, his hipster beard nicely groomed and fragrant with the oil he liked to use on it. He was very good-looking in a sort of Ryan Reynolds way, and I had thought I was really into him....before. The party was in full swing when we arrived, and I soon had a glass of red wine and we were making the rounds of Rob's friends and colleagues. There were twinkling lights adorning the bushes on the dock and the waiters were replenishing drinks quickly and efficiently. A small band played the typical kind of music one would expect; I rolled my eyes at Rob when the band began playing "The Piña Colada Song" and he laughed and said, "Not everyone knows who Ghost is, babe." After all the canoodling, Rob's boss pulled him aside and I was left to survey the crowd. There were a lot of people here; Rob's firm was one of the biggest in the city. I really didn't know anyone, and I was actually bored shitless.

As I stood, drinking my second glass of wine, a flash of something - or someone? - white caught my eye. Though the party was outside, it was well-lit; I blinked a couple of times. Through the crowd of partygoers I could have sworn I had seen Cardinal Copia. As I strained my eyes to look, people moved, and I saw a man dressed in white pants and a white shirt. My heart sank, even though I knew there was no way the Cardinal could be here. I had placed the Eucharist holder in a shadow box in my closet at home before I'd left, so there wasn't even a way to summon him if I'd dared. I let out a shaky laugh and grabbed another glass of wine from a passing waiter. Maybe Rob and I would have sex tonight; if so, I was going to need to be seriously buzzed. "This is the moment of just letting go," I found myself singing softly to myself. "What was that you were singing?" Rob's voice was a little loud in my ear as he came up behind me. His hand planted itself lightly at the small of my back as he said, "Sorry about that. My boss needed me to meet someone." The band was playing David Bowie now, and pretty badly. I really just wanted to leave, but Rob grabbed my hand and said, "C'mon. Let's dance," grinning at his own joke. I gulped the rest of my wine, set the glass on a table, and let him pull me over to where there were couples dancing. We began to slowly move together, and Rob's face was close to mine as he said, "You are the hottest woman here tonight. This song is so perfect to dance to." I looked at him, a little quizzical, and said, "Blackstar? I dunno. It seems very sad to me." He shrugged. "Maybe the sax part, then. It's so sexy." Yes, I thought, sax can be sexy, when it's in Miasma. Stop! I shouted at myself. This is normal life. Quit being a buzz kill. You can't keep running off to fuck the Cardinal whenever you want. Besides, Rob was attractive to you before Copia, and he's the same guy now. Allow yourself to feel it.

The band announced that they were going to play a song, by request, for a very beautiful woman, and then segued into "Lady In Red". I looked at Rob. "Really?" He looked surprised. "Did you request this song?" I teased. He looked confused and then a little pissed. "I...errr...ugh....no! Honestly! But I'd like to know who the fucker is who did." We danced in silence, things a little awkward. I hope he's good in bed, I thought, because this shit is not romantic at all. As I looked idly over his shoulder, through the crowd of people, I saw a figure standing just within my view. My heart nearly dropped to the pit of my stomach, then leapt up into my throat.

It was Copia.

Tonight, he wore his white suit, easily handling his cane, devastating me with his eyes. He nodded to me, looking very serious. In his other, gloved hand was a glass of red wine. I watched as he took a sip. It was at that moment that things just sort of, well, happened. Rob's boss walked up to us and said, "My apologies, but we seem to have run into a bit of a snag with the Kirkland deal. I need to borrow you for a little while." Rob looked at me and I said, a bit too brightly, "Oh, go ahead! It's FINE! I'm a little tired anyway. I'll just call an Uber if it's going to be a while." Yeah, I thought. I know where to find a car. I practically shoved Rob into his boss's arms and giggled as I backed away. "Oh boy," I heard his boss say to him, "I think I just ruined your chances with her tonight. She's pissed." I howled with laughter as I made my way through the crowd.

When I got to the Cardinal, he looked very stern. I took the glass of wine he was holding, downed it, and said, "Thank fuck you're here!" His eyes bored into me but he did not smile. My laughter died in my throat as I stood in front of him like a naughty schoolgirl. Without a word, he offered me his arm, and I took it. We walked, in silence, out to where there were cars parked, and I saw the Phantom parked alone, a little way away from us. The Nameless Ghoul stood at attention near the back door. As we neared it, the Ghoul winked at me, as usual, and opened the door for us. "Get in the car, Ghuleh," Copia commanded. As I bent to crawl into the car in a rather unladylike fashion, he smacked my ass soundly. I yelped, then sighed; I knew my panties were wet. As he settled in beside me, he sighed, too. "Darling, darling, darling," he chanted, those eyes gleaming hotly. "You are drunk."

For a moment, I laughed hysterically. I didn't know what to say. My head fell back against the seat and then the world felt a bit off-balance and I realized, Fuck, he's right. I'd had five glasses of red wine and one little canapé that tasted like dogshit. Not a good food-to-alcohol ratio. "Ooooookaaaaaayyyyy," I sorta slurred, and closed my eyes for a moment. I felt him stroking my hair. I opened my eyes, trying to focus on him, and placed my hand in his lap, searching for that which always pleased me. To my surprise, he put his hand on mine and moved it away from his crotch. "No, love," he explained, when I made a small noise of protest, "I will not do this when you aren't completely here with me and I know that we will come together as one mind. You need to - what's the saying? - sleep it off." He pulled me up against him and my head lay against the white fabric of his suit. It was softer than I had imagined. I felt the drowsiness coming over me - that familiar, comforting sensation I always experienced after sex with him. I also felt more than a little dizzy, and a twinge of regret. A night with him, but not fucking him, seemed like a terrible, missed opportunity. "Oh. Ohhh. Nooooo," I heard myself mumble, as unconsciousness washed over me.

I don't know how long I was passed out. When I awoke, I kept my eyes closed for a moment, fearing a throbbing headache and sick stomach. Surprisingly, the only thing I felt was a faint hunger pang as my stomach rumbled uncomfortably. Slowly, I opened my eyes, stretching languidly. It was dark in the room, but not quite. As my eyes adjusted, I realized that I was not in my own bed. I was in a much larger bed, adorned with black, satiny sheets that looked slippery, but weren't. They felt like velvet against my naked skin. The room seemed to be made of stone, like I imagined castle walls looked like. There were black candles lit throughout the room, banked in little cupolas in the stone walls, nestled in groups on a small table here, atop a huge armoire there. There was a breathtaking, stained glass ceiling above me, and I could see that it was still dark outside, because the faint light of the moon served as a backdrop, turning the colors prismatic and allowing me to make out flower shapes, cherubs, and what looked to be demonic figures kneeling at the feet of a white-cloaked figure. The room itself was sparsely furnished, with only the bed, the few small tables, a bookcase absolutely packed with books, the armoire, some large, potted flowers and greenery, and a large, winged-back chair that faced a huge fireplace. There was a fire going, the mantle above it adorned with a large, stone Grucifix and yet more candles. As my eyes adjusted to these unfamiliar surroundings, I saw a black-gloved hand reach for a wine glass on the small table next to the chair.

I was apparently in the Cardinal's world, wherever - whatever - that might be.

Well, this certainly was new. As the events of the evening flooded back, I felt very ashamed. I had behaved badly, first in going out with Rob and wishing I were somewhere else the whole time, and then in drinking so much and acting like an unruly teenager with the Cardinal. And what, exactly, had I been thinking, deciding to just get drunk and go home with a guy I had only been on a total of four dates with over a period of 3 months? That was not me at all; I was usually very level-headed. Rob's boss's words drifted back: "You're not getting anywhere with her tonight", and I was immediately angry. How fucking dare that guy? I thought.

"You're awake."

The Cardinal's soft voice reverberated through the room as the fire crackled and the candles flickered. He had not turned to look at me. But of course, he could "hear" me. I stretched again, and then sat up. There was a thick, brocade robe at the foot of the impossibly huge bed; I rose and put it on. It was much too big for me, and there was a Grucifix embroidered onto the breast and it smelled, faintly, of cloves and cinnamon and a clean, sea scent; I realized that it must be his. Was this his room? Where he slept? I had never given a thought to what kinds of normal things he did; for me, it was the music, the stardom, and, of course, the fucking. It sent a little thrill up my spine to have his robe on, and I padded over to where he sat, staring into the flames. He looked regal in that white suit, but all I could think about was about was what was underneath. He reached out for my hand and pulled me onto his lap, where I fit perfectly. I lay my head against him, still marveling that the face he "put on" for every performance was actually real, and I twined my fingers into his hair. He looked so pensive, an expression I was not used to seeing, and I said, in a small voice, "I'm sorry."

He made a noise like a grunt, and his hand moved down to rest, proprietarily, against my ass. We stayed this way for a while, and then he sighed. "You are filled with so many questions, and I will answer them. But first, you must bathe, because you spilled wine on yourself, and you smell of that man's cologne. Then you must eat. You are not in the right mindset to accept me right now." He motioned for me to rise, and then he stood, towering over me because I was in bare feet and he was fully dressed. He took my face into his hands and looked into my eyes. "You were naughty, Ghuleh." he said, solemnly. "Even now when you're here you are moving. Hysterically seeking out what needs improving. And you're still asking for the sun." I smirked at him. He placed a finger on my lips. "Don't repeat my lyrics back to me, dear. Why do you think they were written? To please the masses? They were written before anyone ever knew they needed them. This is what the Clergy has always foretold. We see what was, what is, and beyond. We seek to warn you about yourselves." As I digested his words, he reached for my hand and began leading me over to one of three doors in the room. "Come," he commanded. "We will fix you up."

He opened a door and led me through it. We were in a room with more candles, a high, round window, and a large, porcelain tub. It was the kind that I had seen in romantic movies of old: higher at one end, to lean back against. Fluffy, white towels were heaped on a table, and there were cut-glass bottles filled, I assumed, with soaps, oils, and other fragrant concoctions. A Nameless Ghoul stood at the tub, adjusting the handles as he filled it. He reached for a bottle and added some oil to the water. A faint scent of frankincense drifted into the steamy air. The Ghoul looked at me and winked. Then, he smiled. I grinned back stupidly. "Aether, leave us," Copia commanded quietly, and the Ghoul nodded, backing quietly away and then departing through another door. As the door closed softly behind him, the Cardinal sighed. "The silver-tongued devil," he muttered. "He wants you almost as much as I do." I looked at him, surprised. "Really?!? How do you know that? Oh...wait," I answered my own question. I began to giggle. "Wonder what THAT looks like," I mused, and the Cardinal answered, cryptically, "All you need to do is ask." As I contemplated his answer, he undid the robe and slid it off my shoulders. He took off a glove and stuck a finger into the steaming water. "Hot, but only hot enough to wash away your sins on the outside," he pronounced, and smiled. "Get in." He held my hand as I gingerly stepped into the water and settled into its fragrant, comforting heat.

I leaned back and closed my eyes, then slid beneath the surface, submerging myself entirely. I stayed under for a moment, the world shut out and the water cradling me in blissful stillness, and then surfaced to find Copia standing beside the tub, naked. His magnificent body took my breath away like it always did, the candlelight flickering hotly and making shadows on his form. His muscles flexed beneath his taut skin. He was beautiful, and he knew it. "Come, scoot," he said, gesturing, and I moved forward to allow him to get into the tub behind me. I settled back against him as his legs encompassed me and his hands moved around to cradle me for a while. I sighed and closed my eyes, my hands moving on his thickly-muscled thighs beneath the water. His hands stroked my stomach, then my ribcage, then settled on my breasts. His thumbs circled my nipples lazily. I arched my back slightly, lifting them up out of the steaming water, and my nipples hardened to stone-like points underneath his practiced fingers. I felt his cock stir against the small of my back. He groaned into my hair. "You're a fucking tease," he whispered harshly, his hands cupping my breasts harder. "I could fuck you right here, right now." I shifted back against his rising cock, my body daring him; I'm sure my face begged him. I know my thoughts did. His right hand abandoned my breast and made its way under the water again where it cupped my mound. Silently, I begged him to open the folds of my lips, to stroke my clit. I was aching for him to make me come the way only he could. For a moment, I thought he was going to do just that, and then his hand moved back up to my breast. I whimpered my disappointment and he made a "tsking" sound. "You have lessons to learn," he admonished quietly, "and only then will you be rewarded."

We settled back into an uncomfortable silence, and I understood at once that he was furious with me, although his actions were nothing but loving and gentle. "No, not furious," he said, wrapping one leg up over mine. "I am concerned. You seemed desperate tonight. Desperate to uncloak yourself from my presence. You were gonna fuck that guy." He spat out the words as if they were distasteful. "That guy is unworthy of you. He is crass, and stupid. He brought you there only to show you off like some kind of prize he won. You are worthy of so much more." I sat forward suddenly and stood up quickly. I turned to face him in the tub as I sat in the water once more. "What am I worthy of?" I asked, angrily. "Worthy of a spectral fuck from you? I need something real!" I cried. He reached for my hand and placed it on his chest. I felt his heart beating against my hand. "Is this not real?" I felt my anger dissolving just as quickly as it had reared up. "Of course," I allowed. "But real is much different. Real is my life, back there, at home. Real is spending my life with someone I love. Cooking together. Sleeping - just sleeping! - together. Talking without knowing what the other is thinking all the time, like you know EVERYBODY that way." I grabbed his hands and twined his fingers in mine. "That's real, to me, anyway."

He regarded me for a moment, then sighed. "I can give you real," he said, "but it is perhaps more complicated than your "real". Ghost is real. I am real. But in your version of real, it has to be different. Because, Ghuleh, this reality you are in now is an alternate realm, and to embrace it fully is to dance between the two." He leaned forward, reaching behind me as he turned on the water to add more heat to our cooling bath. His lips sought mine as he did this, and we kissed, softly at first, and then more urgently, because the heat of the water wasn't the only thing fiery between us. Finally, he dragged his lips from mine. "You make me forget my name," he uttered, and sat back. "Nihil warned me that this could happen, and that I must continue with my progress. His sons were victims of the same fate. My biggest challenge is to balance the two."

I shifted to kneel between his legs, utterly fascinated by his words. "The Emeritus line? How did they meet the same fate? Am I some kind of 'fate'?" Before knowing him in this way, I was like all the other fans, taking part in the pageantry and storyline the band had created for us. As the story told, the three, preceding Papas were "dead" and their bodies being paraded around on tour. We were all "in on the joke" that the Director had created.

Or were we?

"The Emeritus line is very much alive," Copia answered my unspoken question. "We are, perhaps to our own destruction, human in some ways in that we all desire a muse. They each have theirs, and in finding them, became less interested in what their responsibilities were to the Clergy. Even Nihil has his muse." I was stroking his chest as he spoke, and I stopped, certain that I knew who Papa Nihil's "muse" was. "Imperator." I said, wonder in my voice. He nodded. "Are you suggesting that this -us - is a bad thing? Do I distract you too much?" My heart was racing as I asked this, hoping that he wasn't "letting me down easy". Fuck, I thought, maybe he's breaking up with me? Oh, for fuck's sake, how stupid does that sound?

"For the love of Satan, Ghuleh! Stop that nonsense." He grabbed my hand and brought it down to his cock. It was rock-hard at my touch. I stroked it steadily as he said, "This is yours. I am gonna fuck you all night with this. But you must stop with all these doubts." He raised himself up on the edge of the tub as if to get out, but I moved swiftly, taking his cock in my mouth and gripping his thighs. He groaned as I stroked him with my mouth steadily, making a point with the tip of my tongue and massaging the thick vein running along the underside with it as I moved up and down on him. He gripped the tub and thrust into my mouth, fucking it, then tried to stop me. "No," I commanded him, "if you're gonna fuck me all night with this, I am going to unload the gun now, so you can keep up with me later." He threw his head back and laughed, then his face changed, becoming serious; becoming feral. "As you wish, my dear. Drrrrink me." Fuck! I went back to work on him, sucking the head of his cock as hard as I dared while steadily stroking his length with a firm hand. I probed the opening with the tip of my tongue, inserting it, and he gasped. With my other hand, I stroked his balls, feeling their weight in my hand, then lightly dragged a finger back along the sensitive skin between his balls and his ass. Slowly, as I engulfed his cock with my mouth, I inserted the tip of my finger just as slowly into his ass, stroking in and out. I heard him gasp, his body tensing up, and he growled, "You are so evil. So...fucking....evil." I looked up at him as I began to lick the underside of his cock with my whole tongue, all the while fingering his ass, and our eyes locked. I alternated between the licking and sucking hard on the head, never breaking eye contact as I did this. He was breathing in gasps but his eyes looked amused, and when he snarled, "Take all of me now!" I knew he was dangerously close. I engulfed his hard, hot flesh with my mouth and relaxed, taking him as far in as he could go, letting him fuck my mouth savagely, until he cried out and exploded in my mouth, the muscles in his legs taut and spasming, his balls contracting, his hips thrust forward as he was overcome by his orgasm. I gripped his hips and sucked, hard, wanting all of his cum in my mouth. It tasted faintly fruity and salty, and I swallowed, triumphant. He had never let me do this before, and I felt as if we had changed the boundaries of our relationship in that moment. No longer was he the teacher and I his obedient student; I was the Mistress now.

He slid back down into the water and I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, smiling. His eyes were closed and he was still breathing heavily. "Don't get cocky, Ghuleh," he said, eyes still closed. "When we get out of this water, I am gonna teach you the lesson I brought you here for." His voice was low and dangerous, and a thrill of both desire and fear ran through me and settled in my throbbing pussy. He meant to discipline me, after all.

My body was ready.

 


	3. Explorations

 

 

Chapter Three

 

Waking up in what one assumes to be a castle, with a stained-glass ceiling above you, is, well, a special experience. If you've never done it, I highly recommend it. It's like waking up under the influence of some sort of psychotropic drug, like LSD or mescaline. Prismatic, jeweled colors greeted my sleep-filled eyes and projected vaguely onto my naked skin. Had the Cardinal's bed had white sheets, I would have awoken bathed in the ceiling's colorful light.

I stretched, lazily and took note of the fact that I had not been magically propelled back to my own bed, in my own house. This was certainly different, I thought, but then I remembered that the Cardinal had spoken of lessons I needed to learn. It was a Saturday, and I had two days with which to absorb his brand of knowledge before I might be missed. Last night had definitely not contained any lessons, except for my little experiment with dominating Copia's cock with my mouth and demanding that he come in it. After that, it had been hours of orgasms - I truly had lost count and hadn't realized that the human body could come that many times - and my trick of "unloading the gun" had worked very well. I could not get enough of this man; his body, his mouth, the wizard-like way he used that tongue of his. Not a single inch of my body had gone unexplored by his mouth; he enjoyed it when I would prop myself up on my elbows and order him to use his mouth in certain ways. "Lick me really slow with your whole tongue," I would order quietly, "pretend my cunt is an ice cream cone and you can't get enough." I would take as much of that as I could and then sink my fingers into his hair and thrust up against his mouth, signaling that he could do whatever he wanted. I could also say the same for his body, too, because I had an insatiable need to taste every inch of him. It was like a drug addict needing a drug, and even as I thought this, that ache began, way below.

Sighing, I got up out of bed and made my way to the door that led to the bathroom. The room that held the tub also contained a door to the more private, functional facilities, and I realized that I really needed them.

After relieving that need, I decided to step into the shower, because sex all night was a very sweaty business and I wanted to be fresh and clean so that Copia could make me dirty all over again. The shower was truly a feat of technology: there was an overhead shower head in the ceiling and a handheld shower head on the marble wall. There were dispensers in the wall that I could just push buttons and generous amounts of product would exit; I wasted no time soaping up and lathering my hair. As my hands caressed my body and sought out my most intimate places to gently cleanse, that earlier ache of want began to really overcome me and I knew that I needed to release some tension. Eyeing the handheld shower head, I giggled and thought, why not? I reached for it and adjusted the jet to a pulsing spray and sat on the bench below. I teased my pussy with that jet, holding my lips open to welcome the pulsating, warm water against my swollen clit. I knew that if I let myself, I would come immediately, but I wanted to hold back a little. I played with the functions of the shower head for a while, letting the water lick me hungrily and then adjusting it to a trickle, thinking about how Copia could suck my clit so hard I could come on command. My other hand drifted to my erect nipples and squeezed them a little as I gasped each time the spray of water would score a direct hit on my clit. Finally, I could not wait, and adjusted a full, pulsating jet and held my lips open to welcome that vibrating, relentless stream of water. I came violently, silently, my gasps of breath echoing inside the shower.

I sat there, out of breath for a few moments, thinking about how far I had come in such a short time. I had always been a bit of a deviant between the sheets, and I owned a couple of sex toys, but I had not used a shower head to get off since I was a teenager. A thought popped into my head: why not? Why not enjoy yourself however it pleases you to? The Cardinal's voice spoke this inside my mind; there are no sins if you are being true to your own nature. Damn skippy, I thought, and laughed. I finished my shower and then stepped out onto heated floors and grabbed a fluffy, red towel from a rack. I dried myself off and then walking over to the large, double vessel sink and looking at myself in the mirror. There were drawers in the console and I opened one. Inside, there was a single, unopened toothbrush and toothpaste. He really does think of everything, I smirked, and grabbed both objects.

Finally fresh, I meandered back into the bedchamber. On the low table against one wall there was a tray with coffee, beignets, and another envelope just like the one I had received after our first encounter. I recognized the Cardinal's writing and regarded it for a moment as I took a bite of a sinfully buttery beignet. Pouring a cup of steaming, fragrant coffee, I wondered if this letter contained a lesson or an apology for leaving me alone to wake up in an unfamiliar place? I broke the seal and pulled out the crisp parchment.

_My Love:_

_Yours was the sleep of the dead and I could not bear to wake you after such a physically draining night together. A Cardinal's work never ends, and I have duties to attend to this day. If you choose to leave, I will understand, and orders for your safe return to your home have been pre-organized. However, I hope that you will stay. My need for you is, as always, insatiable, and I can only hope for those feelings to be returned by you._

_I trust you found the shower and that you satisfied yourself accordingly. The "pulse" feature was pleasing, was it not?_

_I am eternally yours,_

_C._

My legs felt weak and I felt myself blushing. How could he have known that I was going to get off with that shower head? Was I that predictable? Were the women he had been with before me predictable? Was I not the only one? Stop, I ordered myself sternly. There are things you don't need to know, and you also understand that this man is desired by many. You know you aren't the first, and you aren't going to be the last, and ridding yourself of these silly, romantic notions are for the best. You don't even know what "this" is.

I shook my head as if that would clear the doubts clouding it, billowing around and casting shadows. My attention was drawn to the bed, which had been made with fresh, red sheets. Sitting on the bed was a t-shirt I recognized as my own with my high school football team emblazoned in faded letters on it. A pair of my own worn, holey jeans was neatly folded underneath, along with a simple, cotton set of my undergarments. My sneakers sat on the floor near the bed. It was a Saturday outfit, one I had worn many times to get groceries, run errands, or work around the house. Someone had gone to my house and procured these items! They had changed the sheets on the bed. They had deposited the breakfast tray along with the Cardinal's note. I wondered, idly, if it had been "my" Ghoul - Aether - and then quickly dismissed that thought as well. You realize you're quite possibly bonkers and this is all happening inside your head while you're laying, strapped to a cot in a rubber room somewhere, I told myself, because this shit is insane.

What to do now? I walked over to the book case and quickly abandoned that idea, as all the tomes were Latin titles. Should I go look for someone? I had no idea,which door led to whatever was beyond; the only for I was sure of led to the bathroom. There was one door on one side of the room, and one on the opposite. I chose the closest and opened it cautiously, peeking out through the crack. Not much to see here; a hallway with more doors, paintings on the walls, and periodic lights that resembled torches. The walls were the same stone as the walls inside the room. Sighing, I closed that door. I was not ready to investigate the place alone. I realized that there was no clock in the room, and I hadn't the faintest idea what time it was. I walked over to the other door and decided that this was going to be the one I actually walked through. Quit being a scaredy-cat, I admonished myself. The Cardinal would not gave taken you anyplace unsafe. Slowly, I opened the door: there was a small, dark hallway leading to another door. I was beginning to feel like Alice in Wonderland as I made my way along that short distance to the other door. When I opened it, I could not have been more surprised.

My eyes were dazzled by sunshine and I shielded them, looking out onto a massive, beautiful garden. It reminded me of the Vatican's gardens, which I had seen on a trip to Italy a few years ago. Rose bushes, trees, wild flowers, and manicured lawns welcomed me as I stepped outside the hallway and closed the door behind me. There was a roofed awning running along the walkway that skirted the castle's walls, and I rushed out into the sunlight and felt it warming my face. There was so much to see: marble and stone statues of angelic, as well as demonic figures. Benches, pathways, hedgerows. The colors were vivid and fresh and the air was heavy with fragrant, floral notes. It was intoxicating, and I found myself wandering down an oyster shell pathway, stopping to touch statues and inhale the scent of flowers. It was so enchanting that I wandered for quite some time and was suddenly staring at a perfect copy of "The Genius of Evil”, a sculpture of Lucifer in white marble made by the Belgian artist Guillaume Geefs. I had always thought this statue to be the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, and seeing it right in front of me now was staggering. This statue was massive, and I found myself irresistibly attracted to it, reaching out to touch the marble musculature. The stone was strangely warm and vibrated softly, almost like a low, electrical current. A wave of warmth passed through me and, startled, I broke contact. I looked around and spotted what looked to be a small bridge leading over a body of water, but then I realized that I was quite far from the castle. I regarded it for a moment, its tall walls and the turrets reaching for the sky, like some sort of medieval vision of old. Yeah, Toto, we aren't in Kansas anymore, I thought to myself, and began to walk back , giving one last, backward glance at the beautiful Lucifer.

Two things occured to me as I neared the castle again. One was that I honestly didn't know where the hell I was, because castles like this didn't just go unnoticed. The second thing was much, much more concerning. There were five, identical doors along the walls of the castle, underneath that protective walkway.

I couldn't remember which one I had come out of.

"Situational awareness" popped into my head, a phrase used constantly during a self-defense class I had once taken. I had been so awestruck by the sight of the magnificent gardens that I hadn't taken the time to assess my surroundings. Now, I was, indeed, stuck. The gardens were so massive and the doors so identical that it was hard to judge which one I had emerged from. This world I was in played tricks with time and space and distance, and I was completely unprepared for the confusion I felt. It was kind of like being in a warm, jello-like atmosphere; it was very hard to describe. It wasn't unpleasant; on the contrary! It was soothing, and welcoming, and the worries of the world just faded away. It did make for strange situations such as this, however. I regarded the doors, trying hard to remember. I thought perhaps it was the second one from the left, and hesitantly made my way to it. There was nothing left to do but go in.

At first, I was blind. The sunlight had been very bright and the entryway was dark. When my eyes adjusted, I could see that it was the short hallway I had come through from Copia's bed chamber; my body relaxed with relief. I'm going to stay in the damned room until he returns, I thought, as I headed for the door and through it to safety. I'll take another bath and crawl onto the bed naked and wait for my dark prince to return.

I stopped short at the doorway.

Shit! This wasn't the Cardinal's chamber!

Quietly, I closed the door, my curiosity taking over. This room was probably three times the size of the Cardinal's, and it was very richly-appointed. Mahogany, antique furniture; tapestries and oil paintings depicting hellish scenes on the walls; a BDSM rack with whips and bindings and crops and other things I had seen in movies, but never in person. There was a magnificent canopied bed that had to be bigger than a California King; it was decked out in white filigreed fabric with gold thread and a heavy, emerald green brocade. Sconces with candles burning in them punctuated the walls and hanging over the fireplace was a copy of Dante's Inferno. Tall Candelabras stood at either side of the fireplace, their white tapers glowing in the low light of the dark room. The room smelled of furniture polish, wood burning, and the faint scent of incense. There was a massive, leather couch facing the fireplace. Whoever occupied this room was certainly masculine and commanding.

I was wondering if I should just go back the way I had come or head for another door and take my chances inside the castle, when I heard some very distinct sounds coming from within the room. Specifically, they were coming from the direction of the big couch. It was the sound of a man and a woman obviously enjoying each other's company. The man's voice sounded familiar, but I couldn't quite place it; the woman was groaning and cooing her pleasure. Totally taken over by a voyeuristic curiosity, I saw that I could hide myself behind one of the canopy curtains hanging from the bed and have a pretty good vantage point of whatever was going on in front of that couch. The white curtains were quite gauzy, and looking through them was possible. The green fabric would hide me entirely. Quietly, I tiptoed over to have a look.

There, on a white, bearskin rug, Papa Emeritus II was crouched down behind a woman. She was on all fours with her legs apart and her ass poised high in the air. They were both naked; I recognized Papa's ass from the Papaganda series that had made the rounds during his reign. He was not wearing his skull paint. She turned her head to look back at him and I recognized her immediately, too! She was a very vocal, devoted " Sister of Sin" in the fandom, always enthusiastically pledging her undying love for Papa II on the various Ghost fan sites. She had been uncharacteristically quiet during Papa Emeritus III's era. Now, I knew why! I stifled a giggle and surveyed the scene in front of me, rolling my eyes at the whole "bearskin rug" 70s porn vibe of the whole thing. All that was missing was some disco music to complete the mood. This made me want to giggle again, so I covered my mouth and tried to concentrate on what they were doing. It felt really dirty, spying on them, and "It's A Sin" began playing like a soundtrack in my head.

Papa II was devoting his tongue to this girl's ass, giving her a thorough rim job as she groaned and bucked her hips back. Every time she would move involuntarily, he would stop. "What did I say to you, Ghuleh?" he growled. "If you move, I will stop. Do you want me to stop?"

"Please, no!" she cried out in frustration. "Please, Papa. I promise to stay still. Please. PLEASE." she begged. He once again lowered his head and continued pleasuring her. He moved down to lap at her swollen pussy and I found myself tensing up, willing her not to move, as my own pussy began to throb. He inserted his tongue in and out of her wet slit, fucking her with it, licking, and then sucking. I could hear the wet sounds coming from his mouth as it continued its sweet torture of her pussy, and her groans were getting louder. He rose to his knees, taking his hard cock in his hand and teasing both her openings with it. "This is an interesting decision," he murmured. "Do I want this tight ass or this hot cunt?" He inserted just the tip of his member in each of her welcoming entries, teasing her with it, daring her to move just an inch. I could see her resolve crumbling on her face and wanted to shout to her to STAY STILL but she was already rocking backwards, crying out as she did. "I don't care where you put it....just FUCK ME!" she shouted. Papa II went very still and I could see, by the look on her face, that she was instantly contrite. "Please don't stop," she begged. "I'll be good, I promise. I'm sorry." His face was stony as he regarded her for what seemed like an eternity. Oh, come on, I willed him silently. Fuck the girl! I thought about all the times I had begged the Cardinal to let me come; I felt for this girl. I could see that Papa II was nothing like Copia, though; when he commanded you, you did what you were told. Those whips and restraints weren't there just for show; I had a feeling they saw a lot of action.

Finally, Papa II spoke. "Ask for it," he commanded darkly. "Please," she whimpered, and he shook his head. "ASK for it." he thundered, and she cried out, "PLEASE! Oh PLEASE, Papa!" He made a clicking sound and sighed. "Ghuleh, do I not make myself clear? I do not think you want it as badly as you say. Now, ASK FOR IT!" he bellowed, and delivered a resounding smack to her ass. She shrieked, both in pain and in desire, and cried out "Papa, PLEASE! Please, I promise I'll be good, but please, please, fuck me!" I could see tears flowing down her face; whether it was from the pain of the spanking or her frustration, I didn't know, but I was ferociously turned-on by that smack. I could see a triumphant smile on Papa II's face as he made his decision and plunged his cock into her; he was balls-deep in her pussy and he delivered a second smack as he impaled her. She moaned loudly, shouting "YES, oh PLEASE!" as he stroked in and out of her, relentlessly battering her with his rock-hard prick. He reached forward and grabbed a handful of her hair and used it like a reign, pulling every time he thrust into her. He was fucking her deeply, slowly, intermittently delivering more smacks to her ass, which was growing very red. She wouldn't be able to sit later, I thought. Every time he spanked her, I tightened my thighs; I was so aroused by this ass play that I was afraid I was going to come just watching. Suddenly, he pulled her up off her hands by her hair until she was on her knees back against him. He released her harnessed hair and wrapped his arm around her, holding her firmly, while his other arm reached around lower. She was gasping, crying out, and he was expertly fingering her clit as he rocked backward with her, his cock buried in her at an intensely deep angle. She screamed as she came, calling out his name, but he kept thrusting harder, prolonging her pleasure, until she became like a rag doll in his arms. Then he released her gently and she sort of fell forward; he gave one more gigantic thrust and then pulled out, snarling and growling as he came. Hot, creamy jets of cum spurted all over her ass and back as he leaned forward over her. They were both breathing heavily; in unison, both began to laugh softly.

I stood behind the curtain, trying to control my own breathing; it certainly a wouldn't look good if they discovered me now. As I was wondering how in hell I was going to get out of there, a hand covered my mouth and an arm reached around, pulling me backward against a tall frame. As I reached up to grab the arm holding me, the figure bore me backward, through the door I had entered. The mysterious captor held onto me firmly as we entered the dark hallway. As the door closed quietly in front of us, I was released and I reluctantly turned around, expecting to see a very disappointed Cardinal. Instead, a Nameless Ghoul stood benignly in front of me. "A-Aether?" I stuttered, and he winked. He smiled, flashing a brilliant smile, and then chuckled. "Enjoyed the show, did you?" he whispered, and my face flushed as crimson as that girl's ass; I was certain of it. He grabbed my shoulders gently, peering down into my embarrassed face. I was sure that his face would be registering amusement if I could see it. "Come on, luv," he coaxed, "we all like to watch sometimes. Nothing wrong with that." Then, taking my hand in his, he headed for the door. We emerged outside and he continued out onto the garden path with me in tow. "Come on," he teased, "let's get you cooled down with a little walk to work off some of that, uh, tension." I stopped and scowled at him. He roared with laughter. "Oh, come ON!" He tugged at my hand and I followed him, reluctantly, out into the garden.   
  


 


End file.
